


Weird Fishes

by JojiAttack



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27570244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JojiAttack/pseuds/JojiAttack
Summary: "hey Joji, is this unbeta--"yes. don't talk mess. i'll get to it later.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum
Kudos: 22
Collections: Promptio Big Bang 2020





	1. Noctis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everyone and me](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=everyone+and+me).



> "hey Joji, is this unbeta--"
> 
> yes. don't talk mess. i'll get to it later.

“I insist,” Prompto told him, “Nothing you say would change my mind to come to your wedding, Noct. We’re best friends, right?” Noctis reassured his best friend for the nth time that, yes, they were indeed best friends. “Then I don’t see why you wouldn’t want your best friend to be at your wedding,” he chuckled. “You scared I’ll act improper in front of foreign royalty?” Noctis, being the best friend that he was, lied and affirmed to his question. “Guess I’ll have to study up on proper etiquette then. Don’t worry, I won’t act like some country bumpkin. Oh, here’s my stop. See you tomorrow!” 

“Yeah,” Noctis waved off Prompto as he disappeared into the crowded train station. The doors slid closed but he could still see Prompto’s bright expression after he virtually invited him to his trip to Altissia. He sighed, exasperated at himself for not telling his friend the truth about why he didn’t want him to tag along. Prompto did make a valid point that he wasn’t nearly as educated in the proper ways to act in the presence of foreign officials that—as of now—were once regarded as the enemy. But Prompto was never going to be exposed to any sort of royal business in the first place. He would watch the wedding in the audience, congratulate him and Luna, and join them as they have their own private celebration after they were away from the public eye. 

He _wanted_ Prompto to be at his wedding. The problem was he couldn’t invite him to his wedding, not if he wanted to be a good friend. 

“Oh... It’s you.” Noctis arrived at his apartment and immediately spotted Ignis in his kitchen washing whatever old dish that was festering inside his sink. 

“It’s me. Did you want me to be someone else?” Noctis tossed his gym bag on an armchair and collapsed on the sofa, never noticing Ignis had asked a question. “I’ll take silence as you wanted to be alone.” He heard the faucet turn off followed by the coordinated footsteps behind him. “You wish to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?” Ignis moved the duffle bag to the floor and shifted the armchair slightly to get a better view of Noctis’ face as he sat down. 

“Seeing as we’ve known each other for more than mere moments, I feel that it’s obvious when there’s something going on in your mind.” Noctis glanced over at his advisor, debating whether he should talk. “Out with it.” But he knew Ignis. It would be out of character for him to spread the information around like high school gossip.

Noctis sat up and grabbed a throw pillow to hold onto. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone. I gave him my word. You think it would be okay if I told you?”

“That would be entirely up to you. Would you be okay if you told me?” Noctis thought for a moment and took a deep breath. In a tiny crevice of his mind, Noctis silently asked to be forgiven for breaking his promise.

“It’s about Prompto,” he paused as if he waited for Ignis to say something only for him to sit in silence, “I don’t know if I should let him go to Altissia with us.”

“Now that’s a surprise,” Ignis uncrossed his legs, “Here I figured you were going to try and convince me to take him with us.”

“I do! I mean—I don’t. I—” Noctis put the pillow to the side and sat up straight. “I want him to be there for my wedding. I just don’t know if I should let him come because it’ll probably be a miserable trip for him.” Ignis perked his eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. “Iggy, you have to act like this talk didn’t happen. Prompto had a hard enough time telling me.”

Ignis nodded. “You have my word.” To which Noctis scoffed.

“Yeah, just like how I gave my word to Prompto.” Noctis had to tell himself to view Ignis as a neutral third-party to continue to talk. “Okay, well, to summarize, Prompto kind of has a little-not-so-little crush on,” he adjusted in his seat, “well—on Gladio.” Ignis appeared unfazed. “He’s got it bad, Iggy. I mean at first, I thought I was looking into it too much since I know how Prompto feels about Gladio. But then I started noticing the number of times he would stare at him whenever Gladio isn’t looking. And you know how Gladio is outside of the Citadel. Always getting phone numbers left and right.” Noctis didn’t bother to hide his intense eye rolling. “Prompto says it doesn’t bother him seeing Gladio talking to other girls, but he always seems distant after the fact.” 

“And you believe if we brought Prompto along, witnessing Gladio mingle with other women on the road and at the wedding—”

“All the while being forced to be in the same vicinity as him for weeks like some muscled, forbidden fruit. Yeah, I’m not interested in making my best friend go through all that.”

Ignis stared blankly at the coffee table, presumably processing the information and deciding what Noctis should do. Instead, Ignis replied with, “I’ve actually known about Prompto’s feelings towards Gladio for some time.”

“You knew?”

He pushed his glasses up slightly and grimaced. “Perhaps I misspoke. ‘Known’ isn’t the right word. Call it more as a ‘confident suspicion’. Prompto is an expressive man. He’s not particularly known to be stoic in everyday situations.”

“Well _now_ you’re making me feel like a shitty best friend for not noticing sooner—And before you say anything!” Ignis closed his mouth. “I’m joking. I don’t exactly have the best experience when it comes to crushes.” Noctis sighed as he bites on the nail bed of his thumb. “So? What should I do? Go up to him and say he can’t go to my wedding?”

“You may not agree with my suggestion—”

“Here we go—”

“ _But—_ ” Noctis bites his tongue. “This decision isn’t yours to make. Prompto is his own person and while I do believe it would be best for him to remain here, it is still his choice. As a friend, I would see no fault in you giving your thoughts on the matter. You can give him all the advice you want, but you _cannot_ force him.”

Noctis had to lower his eyebrows from his hairline. “I’m a little taken back, if I’m being honest. I expected you were going to tell me to make the decision on my own.”

“I understand where you’re coming from.” Ignis stood up and grabbed the discarded gym bag to wash. “The same applies to us. I’m your advisor, I tell you what the best course of action is to take but you make the choice by your hands.” Noctis hadn’t thought of it that way. Yes, it was obvious _Noctis_ would be the one who pulls the trigger, but at times it felt as though Ignis moved his finger instead of hanging back and shouting whether to shoot or not. Except, this was like Prompto walking on a broken platform above a pool of lava that he was so keen on using instead of waiting for rescue.

“I’m speaking hypothetically, dude.”

“I get that I sometimes bring up these hypothetical situations, but _why_ would I willingly walk on a broken platform above piping hot magma?” Prompto walked from his closet to his suitcase atop of his bed where Noctis lied next to, feet planted on the wall above the headboard. “Wait… Do I know the platform is broken?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of obvious.” Noctis wanted to quickly change the subject to what he was trying to get to, but he found himself buried too deep in the current predicament. “All I’m asking is if you want me to stop you or not from using it.” 

Prompto dropped a set of clothes in his suitcase. “Why do I get the feeling this is a metaphor for something? Wait, analogy? Either one of those.” Sure, Noctis could have picked a more subtle hypothetical situation, but he was never one for coming up with unique scenarios.

Noctis sighed and rested his hands behind his head. “Real talk?” Prompto pulled out his chair from his desk to sit down in.

“Real talk.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately—y’know, ever since we had that conversation about you going to Altissia.” Noctis crossed his arms. “As a friend, I don’t think you should come with us. However, that’s just my two cents and if you really want to come, I won’t stop you.”

Prompto pursed his lips in silence as he stared at the ground. “This is about Gladio, isn’t it?” The silence was a response enough for Prompto to continue. “I appreciate your concern, Noct. I’ve thought about it too when I’m lying awake at night, so I’m not oblivious to the entire thing. But you’re still my friend and I want to be there for you in Altissia. And hey—maybe I’ll meet someone at the reception,” Prompto chuckled but Noctis felt it was forced. “Look, man. I know the kind of guy Gladio is. I’m not expecting he’ll like me back or anything. I just caught feelings for another handsome jock, no big deal.”

But Noctis knew it was a big deal for Prompto because it wasn’t just Gladio’s physique that got him to fall for him. He remarked before that he loved how Gladio’s cheerfulness deceived his imposing figure. He gushed before over how Gladio expected more out of him than anyone else and that he made him feel like he could do better. He confessed plenty of times that Gladio’s dry humor would often keep him laughing hours later. 

He knew that he shouldn’t think this way, but Noctis still felt guilty that Prompto felt it was necessary to go through a week of torture just so he could be at his wedding that would only last a night. 

Maybe, he thought, they could have a more private venue at a later date that’s closer to home. Something that is more meaningful to both him and Luna so that Prompto doesn’t feel like he’s missing out. After all, it’s not like the wedding in Altissia was by choice and, therefore, wouldn’t carry the same weight if they were to do it themselves on their own terms.

“Yo! Eos to Noct!” Prompto was waving his hand in front of his face, bringing him back to standing in front of the chip aisle at a convenience store just nearby the border. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet already.” 

Gladio walked in Noctis’ peripheral vision with a bag of purchased snacks they were going to bring on their road trip. “You wouldn’t mind if I took your place when you pull out of the wedding, would you?”

“‘When’?” Noctis blinked.

Gladio gave him a hardy pat on the back. “Just havin’ a little fun, princess. No need to brood.” Noctis hid his eyes rolling beneath his hair as he walked away from the two, finding security in the corner where the beverages were stored. While he was far enough away to no longer be bothered by Gladio, he was close enough to listen in on his conversation with Prompto. “You gettin’ anything for the road?”

“Nah—I wanna save my money for souvenirs in Altissia. You know I’ve never actually been outside of Insomnia?” Prompto’s tone in his voice sounded different compared to when he speaks with Noctis. It was slower, slightly unsure if he was picking the right words when speaking.

“I guess I could’ve figured that was the case. You don’t really seem like the traveling kind of guy.”

“Uh—Sure. I never found the need to move away from home.” Prompto was never open about his financial situation, but Noctis wasn’t ignorant about his money issues. To Noctis, spending enough time with his best friend made it obvious that he was embarrassed about it, so Noctis felt no need to bring it up. He didn’t feel like it was important, not in the way that it would affect their friendship. 

“Anyway, grab anything you want—I’m buying.” Prompto’s body visibly jolted at the offer.

“Oh—You don’t have to do that, I’m fine.” 

“And this is the part where I insist and you turn down every offer, but since we have to make it to Galdin Quay by nighttime, let’s just skip to the part where you get something so I can buy it for you.” Noctis was offended. Gladio had never even offered to get him a stick of gum. But perhaps, Noctis thought, it was just one of those things Gladio does to mess with him. He’s heard of stories where siblings would refuse to do the smallest favors but would go to great lengths to protect them. At least, that was what Noctis believed the relationship was like. 

“Looks like you got me there.” Prompto looked aimlessly around before darting to a corner of the store and picked up a rectangular, red box. “I haven’t had these in _yeeeaars._ ” Gladio grabbed a red box to inspect.

“Isn’t this the type of candy they put in those cookies?”

“Yeah, red hots? I like them in snickerdoodles but I enjoy them more by themselves. The spiciness of the cinnamon makes me feel more alive.” Gladio smirked, catching both Noctis and Prompto off guard. He turned around quickly, nearly tripping on his own feet as he walked towards the cashier. “Anyway, I just want this. I can hold off till we get to Galdin Quay.”

Gladio followed his best friend and sat his box of red hots after Prompto. The smaller man turned to face him with a puzzled look. “Thought I’d try ‘em out. Never know what you like till you take a crack at it.” 

Was this how they always interacted when left alone? Or was this just an exception and he was reading too much into it since Noctis has the knowledge of Prompto’s feelings? Either way, he felt it was needed to ask Prompto several questions once they’re alone.

“Alright, princess—If you’re not gonna get anything then let’s get going.” They were already exiting the convenience store before he could respond with anything. He _must’ve_ been reading too much into it. Gladio probably acts this way towards anyone he wasn’t entirely familiar with and only gives him a hard time because he knows Noctis wouldn’t do anything.

Noctis chased after them and hopped in the backseat of the Regalia where Gladio sat next to him, opening his box of red hots and popping the cinnamon candy in his mouth. He willed himself to think nothing of it and revert his focus on his wedding.

He closed his eyes to pass the time with a nap only for the next time he opened his eyes being mere hours later. Prompto sheepishly smiled at Ignis as he confessed they had run out of gas. Fingers were pointed but they decided amongst themselves arguing wouldn’t put more gas in the tank. 

“Y’know—Technically,” Prompto grunted as he pushed the car by the door, “this is your fault since this is your car.” 

“Well, _technically_ ,” Noctis helped push, opposite from Prompto, “the car isn’t even under my name.”

“And _technically_ ,” Gladio’s voice was steady as a rock as he helped push from the back, “you’re both to blame for taking a joy ride the night before to, and I quote, ‘hit the night as free men one last time.’”

“I love to burst your bubble, Gladio, but do you honestly believe Prompto and I would be the kind of guys who live the traditional nightlife?”

“You, I know, would have spent the entire night locked up in your apartment. Prompto, on the other hand, surprises me.”

“What?” Prompto sputtered as he glanced back. “What makes you think I would be a nightlife kind of guy?”

“Well—Guy like you wouldn’t have trouble in that way of life.” 

Prompto, for whatever reason, didn’t push on to question what Gladio meant. Instead, he stared at Noctis who was equally perplexed. Clearly, these weren’t normal Gladio lines Prompto was used to, giving Noctis evidence that even this was new territory to his best friend. Nonetheless, he still wishes to question Prompto. Not just about his past interactions with Gladio to get a frame of reference, but for getting an update on Prompto’s thoughts about his behavior in Hammerhead.

Noctis, still wrapped up about his own wedding, even noticed the love-struck gaze his best friend had when Cindy introduced himself. Was it even possible to feel jealous on someone’s behalf? Either way, something about how Prompto viewed the grease-monkey granddaughter as she approached them rubbed him the wrong way. It was close to the same look he had when Gladio was first introduced. 

But it didn’t make sense to Noctis. Wasn’t it a good thing that there’s a chance Prompto was moving on from his insatiable crush over Gladio and found himself someone he had a chance with?

“I can see where your concern lies, but it’s too early to say he’s moved on from Gladio.” Ignis prepared dinner inside the caravan as Noctis stretched out on the small sofa. “Exactly how long has he had these feelings for?”

“I dunno. He told me about it two years ago but I know he’s felt this way since he met Gladio. I just didn’t notice it until Prompto came out to me.” He sat up and slumped in his seat. “Maybe I should nudge him to go after Cindy. She’s pretty nice, right?” Ignis handed him a rice ball to which he automatically started to eat. 

“And what if, as he gets closer to her, Prompto finds that he doesn’t want to be with Cindy?” His advisor sat next to him, holding his own rice ball in his hands. “You can certainly influence him, but don’t try to force anything that isn’t meant to be. “

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” Noctis grinned at the cliche line before Gladio enters the caravan and tosses him a sealed pack of playing cards.

“You owe me a 100 gil,” Gladio says as he retreated to the back of the caravan.

“Not my fault you forgot your cards too,” Noctis countered but Gladio had already disappeared behind the flimsy door to the bedroom. He sighed, taking another bite from his rice ball and chewed it quietly.

“Noct—Could you be a lamb and tell Prompto dinner’s ready?” Noctis was way ahead of him. Exiting the caravan, he spotted Prompto sitting on a boulder just outside of the rest stop, staring at the night sky.

Noctis made sure to make his footsteps heavy enough to alert his friend. “I’ve always ignored people raving about laying under the stars for hours—just admiring the view.” He stood by in silence. “To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to be anything that special since I’ve seen photos of stars before.” Prompto tore his gaze from the sky to face Noctis. “Did you know this is the first time I’ve seen the sky without any light pollution? I don’t wanna sound lame, but it really is something.”

“If you’re amazed now, wait until later in the night.” Prompto grabbed his camera and captured a photo of the horizon. “Real talk?”

“Real talk.”

Noctis fidgeted with his rice ball. “How’re you holding up—with the whole 'Gladio' thing?” Prompto sighed as he analyzed his most recent picture.

“Not great. Y’know, we weren’t exactly the closest of friends back in Insomnia. I don’t think we were more than acquaintances, if I’m being honest. So all this attention I’m getting from him—it gets a little too much sometimes.” So maybe Gladio _was_ just acting friendly with Prompto. If they hadn’t been close to begin with, he didn’t see it being farfetched for Gladio to try and relate with his best friend as much as possible if he didn’t want to make this trip awkward. As of result, Noctis felt it wasn’t necessary to share with Prompto about his earlier thoughts on Gladio’s behavior. 

“It _is_ only the first day. I get the feeling you’ll wish he would get off your back with time.”

Prompto chuckled. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m pretty sure having him as a bodyguard will be different than having him as a friend.”

“Guess you got me there.” At that point while trying to change the subject, Noctis remembered he was still holding onto his rice ball. “Oh, Iggy wanted me to get you for dinner.”

“And you’re eating without waiting for _me?_ ” Prompto feigned disappointment. 

“You better get back in there quick before Gladio and I finish them all.” And with that, Noctis finished the rest of his rice ball as he rushed back to the caravan as Prompto chased him.

Now that their bellies were full, partially well-rested, and the new day arrived, Noctis figured their road-trip was halfway done when they arrived at Galdin Quay. What he assumed was only going to be a weekend long trip turned out to be an indefinite expedition. 

Insomnia was gone and he had to reclaim the throne. He didn’t like thinking about it. He wanted to think about absolutely anything else but that. He’ll do what he’s told, fine, he just doesn’t want to think about what he needs to do. 

With no home to return to and no clear goal for the future, it became easy to get swayed away by distractions. Focusing more on the well-being of others first rather than his own helped him cope. So, he started with his best friend.

“Gladio told me I should be a wildlife photographer as a career, which I thought would be cool but then I realized I don’t want my models to eat me. But then he brought up wildlife doesn’t care about who you are and I don’t need to worry about having a home since I’ll be traveling a lot. I dunno, I guess it’s something to think about now that I can’t go back.” Except, when he attempted to console Prompto, he didn’t appear to be distraught over losing his home. In fact, it didn’t appear the attack on Insomnia had an affect on him at all, being perfectly fine with moving on and accepting reality. Besides being more wary of what he says and whether it’s appropriate to get involved in the conversation, he still tried to be the light of the group.

That didn’t stop Gladio. He would often ask how Prompto was doing—at least once a day, frequently after a fight. Prompto would always say he was fine, but Gladio kept asking as a precaution.

“Prompto, you alright?” Prompto wasn’t anywhere near the heat of the battle.

“Not a scratch!” Gladio never showed this much attention to Prompto prior to their trip back in Insomnia. 

“Hey, Noct! Whatcha thinkin’ about?” _Don’t think about it._

Ignoring all their interactions before their trip, Gladio had gotten into the habit of starting conversations with Prompto. It wasn’t gradual either. Noctis felt the change between the two, not after _that_ morning, but when Cor praised and showed concern over his blond friend. Gladio had _a look_ to him that was new to Noctis. He didn’t know what to make of it.

“Oh—Uh—” He realized he was blankly staring at the campfire. “Just thinking about—” He glanced at Gladio who was finishing his meal. Noctis shook his head and sighed. “Nothing. It’s been a long couple of days. I’m gonna head to bed early.”

“Dude—It’s our turn to clean up and wash dishes!” He grumbled low. “You’re really gonna leave me out to dry?”

“I’ll help you out.” Gladio butted in on what was supposed to be a private conversation. “Gives me a chance to tire myself out more,” he explained, but Prompto was still confused, and rightfully so.

“No complaints here.” Noctis’ intuition guided him through the conversation. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Prompto looked like a terrified stray dog that would jump from any sudden movement. While Noctis did feel guilty leaving Prompto alone with Gladio once Ignis retired in their tent, it was clear to him Gladio wanted to have a word with his best friend. 

What was the term Ignis used again? ‘Confident suspicion’? Noctis debated if it was even appropriate to call it that when dealing with anything Gladio-related. Call it an educated guess that Gladio is, at the very least, curious about Prompto then. 

Nevertheless, it’s probably important to inform Prompto about his thought process.

**[9:57pm]** good luck out there, be careful he doesn’t eat you

 **[9:57pm]** _If I don’t die from awkwardness_

 **[9:58pm]** just pretend he’s me...only taller, buffer, more handsome and intimidating

 **[10:01pm]** seriously tho, i think gladio wants to talk to you about something. don’t quote me, but i think it’s gonna be something good

 **[10:01pm]** _You really think so?_

 **[10:02pm]** i said don’t quote me lol

He wasn’t lying when he told Prompto he was feeling tired. Already, he can feel himself nodding off, unable to send his half-written message.

**[Draft]** let me know if he sweeps you off your feet ;U

Thanks to his exhaustion, Noctis didn’t stir awake when Ignis entered their tent. When Noctis slowly woke up, he wasn’t sure how long he slept or what time it was. All that was on his mind was how dry his mouth was. 

Crawling towards his water bottle, he noticed how empty their tent was. Ignis slept peacefully in his corner with no Prompto sleep-talking, and no Gladio snoring by their side.

“—too much!”

A voice peeked through the crackle of the still burning campfire.

“You can’t let that stop you. I’ve seen you on the field. You’d have no trouble picking up those skills.”

A second, deeper voice responded, sounding clearer as Noctis gathered his bearings.

“You really think so?”

Noctis treaded carefully to unzip their tent enough to poke one eye through. It was Prompto and Gladio. They had already cleaned around the campsite but they stayed outside; lying next to each other on a blanket, gazing at the stars, and talking for who knows how long.

“You don’t mind if I ask you a personal question, do you?” Gladio with hesitance that seemed unnatural to him.

“Go right ahead.” Prompto glanced at Gladio who was still fixated on watching the sky,

“Have you always had self-esteem issues? I notice that you have trouble recognizing your capabilities.”

Prompto chuckled softly. “Going straight to the deep stuff, huh?”

“You don’t have to answer.”

“Oh—that’s not it at all,” he replied quickly, “To be real with you, I just didn’t expect to hear that kind of question coming from you.”

“I’m only a jerk to Noctis.” Great. “But I can see why you would think I’m a hardass to everyone.”

Prompto returned to view the sky. “Well, to put it shortly, yeah. I’ve pretty much always had a problem with my self-esteem. Ever since I was a kid, I always thought I wasn’t good enough, y’know? I thought it was because of my weight, but even after losing it and then being friends with Noct, I still think I’m not enough. Like I have to do something implausible in order to put myself in the same category as you guys.” Prompto chuckled slightly. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

“You said you had weight issues? I didn’t know that,” Gladio said as if he didn’t hear his last comment.

Taken by surprise, Prompto stalled before he responded. “Yeah. I always found comfort in food but eventually I realized that it wasn’t good for me, to put it lightly. Ironically, I picked up smoking to help with my appetite. Thankfully I stopped, but boy was I a dumb kid.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Noctis saw his best friend’s chest rising as he would take several deep breaths. “It _was_ stupid that you started smoking. If you made that choice today, I would have knocked some sense into you.”

Prompto visibly flinched. “I think the threat would’ve been enough.” Gladio didn’t hide his smirk.

“But I’m not apathetic.” With hesitation, Prompto turned back to face Gladio only to be met by Gladio staring back. “Things get desperate when dealing with body issues, so you look for other methods as shortcuts.” Seconds felt like minutes as Noctis witnessed what was essentially a private moment for the two. Even he felt the tension in his chest as the conversation went on. “Then you realize that shortcuts give you a different result than what you’re looking for. Take things slow and you’re guaranteed to reach your goal.” 

Without a hint of his usual lively tone, Prompto muttered, “How would you know that?”

After a few silent seconds, Gladio broke his gaze. “You’re not the only one with weight issues.”

Noctis dropped his eyes to the tent floor, head full of speculation and answers that was impossible to get a hold of at the moment. But what speculation? It was clear as mud understanding what was going on. Gladio had shown no interest in men in all his years Noctis had known him. How could he be sure if he was assuming the right thing here? 

With a frustrated sigh, Noctis zipped their tent shut. Despite spying on their heart-to-heart, he didn’t like the idea of listening in more in case he heard something that wasn’t meant for him. 

It was difficult being optimistic for his friend while also wanting to protect his feelings. There was a large window of opportunity for Prompto to get hurt as it appeared Gladio was giving him hope. So much so that it was starting to give Noctis hope as well. At least, that was how Noctis viewed it. 

“Man, I love how passionate Cindy gets when she talks about cars.” There was that same look Gladio had when Cor praised Prompto. For someone who thought had a clear understanding of their lifelong shield, Noctis struggled to pinpoint the exact thought than through Gladio’s mind. His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly more than they usually were. Eyes that normally narrowed to show disapproval were there, but his glare looked like it were trying to avoid the obvious focus of the scene i.e. Prompto gushing over Cindy. 

“Yeah. It’s actually pretty cute,” Gladio said in a light-hearted tone that betrayed his expression. Already, both Ignis and Noctis could feel Prompto’s disapproval, side-eyeing with each other to confirm they had the same thought.

“What? Dude, could you not?” Prompto sounded irritated. 

“Not what?” But Gladio wasn’t interested in making the situation better.

Ignis managed to change the subject with some success but there was an uncomfortable tension lingering in the air. The playful banter dissolved to short, dry responses, a habit that had stuck with Gladio since he was young. 

“I’ll explode if I try to talk more than I have to,” Gladio regularly reminded him. He would have believed him if he hadn’t confessed to him, “Sometimes I don’t know how to act after a hostile conversation,” after a night of drinking.

It was traits like those that made Noctis concerned about Prompto's choice in partners. Gladio was a loose canon. You’d end up wasting your energy butting heads with him if you didn’t agree on every choice. He also had a difficult time fitting into another person’s shoes. If he could do it, then you should too. At least, that was how Noctis believed Gladio thought. It sure as hell felt like it was on his side of things. 

But the issue at hand wasn’t that Prompto wouldn’t be able to handle Gladio, it was that Noctis wanted someone who would take some of the edge off for his blond friend. That night atop the roof of the motel made him realize he needed someone else to back him up in his daily life that wasn’t just Noctis. And frankly, Noctis wasn’t a hundred percent sure Gladio would be the man for Prompto.

“You’re not gonna go fish?” Prompto was flabbergasted as he stared at Noctis laying across the backseat of the Regalia. 

He wanted to tell his best friend that maybe Gladio wasn’t a good fit for him. Talk about how maybe he needed to take a step back and reflect on the kind of man Gladio was, but Noctis couldn’t find the courage or the words to do so. Suddenly, the journal in his hand weighed heavier as he remembered a way to think through things before they went said.

“Gotta write to Luna,” Noctis spoke as he waved the journal.

“Oh yeah.” Prompto shifted his eyes to the passenger seat where it’s being occupied by a dog. “I already forgot Umbra decided to pay a visit.” He gets in closer to scratch behind Umbra’s ear. “Because you’re a _sneaky_ fella, aren’t you?” Noctis could see the wagging, fluffy tail go crazy from where he was at. 

Peering around, Noctis found Ignis preparing their caravan behind him, but his shield was nowhere to be found. “Where’s Gladio?”

Prompto pointed towards the river with his head. “He’s out swimming. And…” He squatted down and rested his arms on the car door. “Not to sound completely infatuated with him, but did you know he didn’t even bring swim trunks?” Noctis shot up in shock.

“You mean he’s naked!?”

“What? Oh! Gods, no!” Prompto laughed. “I mean that he’s just walking around in his briefs. He really walked out of the caravan like that and asked if I wanted to swim with him.”

Noctis rested comfortably again. “What’d you say?”

“Eh. I said that I didn’t feel like getting wet.” Prompto tugged on his shirt down, as if trying to hide something. “But I’m gonna be down there with him takin’ pics of rocks and birds and stuff.” Yeah, sure. “If you see me do this.” He waved his arms wildly. “That means I need you to save me from the awkward moment I'm in. Which, since I’m gonna be alone with him, is going to happen.” 

“I dunno. You two seem to be getting along pretty well.” And yet, despite the battle with his thoughts, the words slipped out of him naturally.

Prompto thought for a moment, eyes aimed at the sky. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. But he’s been clothed all those times.”

Noctis opened his journal to the latest entry. “Then I give you all of my strength, young one. Use it well.” He stretched out his hand to his friends, transferring all his energy.

“I thank you for your gift. I will use it well.” Prompto stood up and walked over to the river. He watched as the blond locks disappeared behind some foliage but noticed he would still be able to catch a glimpse if he craned his neck enough to look above. 

However, he wasn’t interested in being a fly on the wall again. “You wouldn’t happen to have a pen on you, do you?” Umbra glared at him and whined in response. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” Noctis stretched to reach towards the glove box until he was distracted by someone laughing from afar. Turning his attention to the source, Noctis felt a certain warmth in his chest as he saw his best friend taking photos of Gladio holding his catch of the day with, what appeared to be, just his bare hands. “You think it’s all going to work out?” Umbra, being the wise sage that he was, panted and sneezed loudly. “I’ll hold you to that.” He rifled through the glovebox and found a worn-out pen.

How would one go about starting a letter about this? “ _Luna_ ,” he begins, “ _things have been pretty calm this past week and I’m glad the same goes to you too. Again, thanks for writing back even during these times. I don’t know if I could be as collected as you are if I was in your position_.” Noctis twirled the pen around his fingers as he delayed further in bringing up the desired topic. Luna had already given him the go-to about asking what she thought over the whole Prompto and Gladio situation, but it was still weird talking about it. One could argue it was due to going behind Prompto’s back and talking about his crush with other people, and they would be mostly right.

“ _Anyway, about Prompto…_ ” Noctis wrote down everything he thought was important. How they were before, how they were now, how Gladio was with other people both platonically and romantically. “ _I’m not just seeing things, am I? It really does feel like Gladio is flirting with him sometimes. Hypothetically, if Gladio really is interested in Prompto, do you think they would be a good match?_ ” Satisfied with what he had written down, Noctis secured the journal within the harness around Umbra. He patted the soft fur on Umbra’s head before the dog jumped out of the car and trotted down the road. 

Noctis had yet to register the tranquil sound of the river until it was interrupted with a yell followed by a splash.

“Wait!—Gladio!” Noctis spun his head to the source. Gladio stood at the edge of the pier as he roared with laughter at the sight of Prompto, drenched in his street clothes as he stood in the river’s current. “Alright, fine!” He dragged himself out onto land and stripped down to his boxers. “You think I won’t defend my honor?”

Gladio’s eyes followed him as he continued laughing, neglecting to pay attention to Prompto getting a running start before he tackled him into the river with surprise strength. The two reemerged to the surface where they continued messing around and wrestling with each other. For what seemed like the first time in years, Gladio was letting go with him himself.

Perhaps he _didn’t_ need to ask Luna whether Gladio was taking a liking to Prompto.

He smiled more when Prompto was around. He was more talkative once Prompto got into the conversation. He would set his book down for once when Prompto sat in the backseat with him. He laughed at every single one of Prompto’s lame throwaway jokes. 

Gladio likes Prompto, however… “ _It appears that Gladio is not ready to accept it himself. If what you say is true about Gladio pursuing every woman he likes, then something is stopping him. It is possible he is not used to the idea of having feelings for another man from the way you speak about how carefree he is with women. I too have a question of my own. Has he been in a relationship with someone, woman or man, in the past? I understand it sounds like an odd question, but see if he has issues with commitment.”_ He hadn’t thought of that to begin with. 

Looking back, either he was really good hiding it from him, or Gladio has never been in any serious relationship before. Flings, he was well aware of. He never shied away from talking about where he had gone the night before, much to Noctis’ dismay. Luna had brought up a good point, and he was determined to find out.

“Aww, Noooct! We’re having a family bonding over here!” Prompto, who was several bottles in, whined on the floor across from him as he held up his cards. “You said you wanted to play Spades but you’re not even looking at your cards!” Noctis sat the journal to the side and organized his hand. 

Any other night, Ignis would have given a lecture about being too intoxicated for their own good during times like these. But even he understood the much needed break they deserved after everything had happened between the covenant being formed with Titan and Ramuh, and the lives lost protecting Noctis’ location from the empire. 

“In order to keep giving and moving forward, you must remember to give to yourself every now and then,” Ignis told him earlier that day. He supposed he was right. Another day, he would follow his advice in a heartbeat to relax, but he surprised himself that he needed a bit of coaxing from Ignis to take a breather. 

And so, here they were, surrounding the coffee table in their hotel room in Lestallum. Bottles scattered about, empty packages of junk food by their sides. Ignis even decided to indulge himself in a little salty snack as well.

Noctis wasn’t a big drinker to begin with. Neither was Ignis. While his advisor was very much a quality instead of quantity type of person, Noctis found it more enjoyable to simply partake in the company of his friends. Prompto and Gladio however… 

Well, Prompto was a lightweight to begin with. It didn’t take long for the red in his face to takeover and the social anxiety to drop. Gladio was like your typical college frat boy that seemed to drink the stuff like water. Granted, Noctis could barely remember the last time he drank what seemed like the entire case himself. 

“Noct, I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek if you don’t play a spade.” But then he remembered _why_ he didn’t want to remember. Gladio was affectionate, to say the least, when he was under the influence. Small touches, hugs out of nowhere, Noctis would’ve been a fan of drunk Gladio if he was more aware when it became too much. “If you were a girl, or if we were all girls, which one of us would you go out with?”

“What?” Gladio squinted at him, trying to focus and not get distracted from his serious question.

“Who do you think is more wife material?” He thought he had heard him right. If he had to be honest, Noctis found it weird thinking about his friends of many, _many_ years in that light. Gladio, especially.

“Did you get friendzoned recently, big guy? Don’t worry about her— _she’s_ the one missing out.” Their eyes met for a brief moment, too quick to call it a glance. Prompto played a card and continued. “But I wonder what everyone’s answer would be.”

“I find that the choice would be fairly obvious,” Ignis remarked.

Gladio chuckled, “Oh yeah? Who would you choose, Iggy?”

“Myself, of course.” Perhaps it _was_ an obvious choice for Ignis. “Come now, you’re all quite the catch in your own ways.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Prompto mumbled with a half-smile. They all played their last cards with both teams safely making their bets. “If we’re being honest, you do radiate that meticulous boyfriend aura.”

“I assume you mean that as a compliment.”

“Is there any other way?” Prompto said without a strip of sarcasm. “While Iggy does have a good track record of being considerate, I don’t think I can be with someone who’s _too_ motherly.”

Gladio started shuffling and bridging with ease that still impressed Noctis. “Then,” He paused for a beat as he dealt, opening and closing his mouth as he decided if he should follow through. “Who would _you_ pick?” He asked with genuine interest nestled in a wary tone. 

Prompto couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with Gladio as he thought carefully. Or, that’s what Gladio would have assumed that was what Prompto was doing. As of right now, his best friend was fighting an eternal battle with himself if he should confess right there and then or still keep it a secret. He pursued his lips and comforted an empty bottle.

“I guess if we’re not talking about the obvious of me picking Noct… —No offense, dude!” Prompto jumped to defend himself. “Don’t get me wrong—we have a good time together, but it’s super weird thinking about you in that way.” 

Noctis nodded to reassure Prompto’s anxiety. “Yeah, I wouldn’t expect anything otherwise.” 

Prompto rolled his back to the ground, spread-eagle, and hummed. “Don’t think I’m picking your Gladio because you were the only option left—well, I am—but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t make a great husband!” 

Gladio was frowning. It wasn’t an irritated frown, more of an emotional frown. Wait, was he going to cry? “No. I understand. You don’t have to make me feel better. I get angry quickly, I’m stubborn, I’m—”

“Nooo!” Prompto sprang up and placed both his hands on Gladio’s knee. “You are a fantastic person, Gladio! If no one can see you past your flaws, then they don’t deserve the kind, charismatic, and reliable guy that you are!” Should Noctis do something? They both have tears resting in the corner of their eyes as the smell of alcohol from both their breaths combined and wafted into Noctis’ nose. Ignis was just as lost as to what to do, holding onto the cards from their abandoned game in defeat. “Somebody is going to like you for who you are. And you know what—today, that somebody was me. So don’t you _dare_ say I shouldn’t make you feel better!” 

Was that a confession? Prompto was babbling too much for Noctis to tell, but he was sure the alcohol in his system accidentally got him to speak his mind about what he felt about Gladio. To the sober mind of Noctis, the confession was ambiguous, leaving little reason to believe Gladio would have picked up on the signs.

It made sense in his head. They settled back into the lighthearted mood again with their card game until Gladio poked his leg. “Noct, noct.” Gladio spoke low to establish the privacy of their conversation, although it was pointless to speak quietly since Prompto was trying to talk to Ignis but would often be lost in his thoughts. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Oh yeah?” Noctis thought it was the liquor talking but the serious look on his shield’s face told him he had sobered enough to think more clearly. “What’s up?”

“I can’t talk to you about it now, I’m still out of it. I need to talk to you in the morning when I can think and not mess it up. In the morning, I really need to talk.” Noctis chuckled at Gladio with his guard down. It was endearing, to say the least, to see his shield rely on him.

“In the morning. Don’t worry.” Gladio nodded as he pulled out his phone.

“I’ll set up a reindeer so I don’t forget, because I need to talk to you—”

“Gladio, I won’t forget. If you need to set an alarm to feel better, go ahead, but I got you. We’ll talk in the morning.” Gladio blinked through his confusion. He nodded once again and switched to a lighter mood the instant he joined Prompto and Ignis’ conversation. 

With the way Gladio has been inching closer to his best friend previously led Noctis to believe it had something to do about Prompto. Like a kind of reality check his shield went through in his hazy mind and he needed another person to confirm with his thoughts. Normally, Gladio would have gone on his own to figure out his own crisis. Yet, something apparently told Gladio he needed to ask for help from another. 

“I bet he’s going to give you a lecture,” Prompto suggested. It was a possibility, but Gladio would have pulled him to the side the moment he did something wrong and scolded him. “Jokes aside then, that’s all I got. It must actually be serious.” Prompto played with his leftover eggs before standing. “I gotta go help Iggy with grocery shopping. Don’t forget to bring old man his breakfast and water.”

Noctis continued scrolling through his phone as he replied, “I’ll be sure to tell him about your concerns.” 

Prompto paused momentarily. “Wait, but don’t actually tell him I called him that.”

“Your secrets’ safe with me.” Feeling satisfied, Prompto waved off as he left the open-aired restaurant, leaving Noctis by himself. 

He stretched out his arms and legs before adjusting his baseball cap and grabbing Gladio’s breakfast as he leisurely walked back to the Leville. 

The room trembled with each passing snore Gladio took. Dead tired, Noctis thought. Or maybe he finally got the deep sleep that he desperately needed. 

He sat his shield’s breakfast on the nightstand and pressed the cold water bottle against Gladio’s forehead, stirring him awake. His pupils peered through the tiny crack of his eyelids. The sleeping giant had been awakened. He grabbed the water bottle in hand and started gulping down.

“It’s the morning. I’m here. What do we need to talk about?” Gladio continued drinking his water, taking longer than he normally did. After the bottle ran dry, he stared at the foot of the bed, as if waiting for himself to answer as well. Gladio stood and walked over to his duffel bag to change.

“If I told you I thought last night was a dream, would you be willing to forget I needed to tell you something?” Noctis sat on a chair in the corner of the room.

“You were pretty desperate to talk to me. I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep pushing it away.” 

Gladio hummed to himself, halfway through putting one pant leg. He continued to get dressed in silence. Whatever was bothering Gladio, Noctis didn’t want to push it. His shield was closed off as is; didn’t particularly like to talk about his issues with anyone that wasn’t Iris, if even.

When he was done switching out his clothes, Gladio flopped down on the side of the bed and covered his face with his hands. “I can trust you, can’t I?” He spoke with little objection. “I need you to promise you don’t say this to anyone. I’m only telling you this because—” He trailed off. Unsure of what he wanted to say. “Because…” He grunted softly. “Noct,” he said to the ceiling, “I think I’m starting to have feelings for Prompto.”

Noctis waited for him to continue, but it was obvious Gladio was waiting for him to respond. “What makes you say that?” Noctis urged.

Gladio crossed his arms and breathed deeply. “I don’t feel that I need to keep an image around him. I can mess around if I want and I can trust that he’ll play along. We start talking about something mundane and it always turns into an hour long conversation. He always impresses me in battle despite how much he complains. He genuinely doesn’t think he isn’t as good as he really is—and… _I_ want to be the one who makes him realize that.” He stopped himself before he continued, most likely realizing what he had been saying. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What’s stopping you?” Noctis replied immediately. “I don’t think I need to tell you that you’re falling head over heels with Prompto. You’ve already come to that conclusion yourself. He’s a pretty charismatic guy. Down-to-earth, good-looking…” He paused briefly as he remembered something important. “I thought you weren’t into guys. Is Prompto an exception?”

Gladio sighed, “I couldn’t tell ya.” The bed creaked as his shield slowly raised himself. “I shouldn’t ask you if it’s a good idea to pursue to find out, should I.” He wasn’t asking Noctis. It was more like he was confirming it with himself.

“And why shouldn’t you?” Gladio glanced over at his direction, looking more vulnerable than ever. “You don’t have to ask for my blessing if you want to be with Prompto,” Noctis smirked. His shield shook his head, unfazed at Noctis’ attempt to make light at the situation.

“I can think of plenty of reasons as to why not. The biggest one being that Prompto probably doesn’t feel the same way.” Noctis would’ve felt surprised if he didn’t empathize with Gladio’s perspective. He believed Prompto only saw him as a friend. Up until now, his friends would have been confident to say Gladio was only attracted to women; but come to find out he had a crush on one of his male companions? “I needed to get it out to someone. Swear that you don’t tell this to anyone.”

“Wait, but what are you going to do about it?” Gladio quipped his eyebrow as he stood, preparing to leave their hotel room.

“You’re not naive enough to think I’m going to do anything about it, Noct. I have a duty to fulfil, and that’s dedicating my life to protect you. Romance can wait—”

“ _Gladio,_ ” he called out to his shield firmly. When he sprang onto his feet, Noctis felt stuck in place as Gladio stood waiting for him to follow up with his protest. “I—” He wanted to say something about how he deserved to have a life of his own, to fall in love with someone who would be there for him just as much as Gladio is there for everyone else. Gladio deserved it and so did Prompto. He was happy to say that knowing how much they both seem to care about each other. But he was naive to think Gladio would put a hold on his duties just for a start in a relationship that just might not last an entire year. It didn’t feel good thinking about it. It didn’t feel good knowing he was partially responsible for putting a hold on other people’s lives.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Noctis started, “but I don’t want you to drop this.” The floorboards creaked under Gladio weight as he shifted on the balls of his feet. “I won’t tell Ignis or Prompto if you at least think about it more. Sleep on it.”

Noctis wasn’t sure if Gladio was seriously considering it, but when he replied, “I’ll think about it,” it was the best thing he could hope for. He nodded slightly and watched Gladio leave their hotel room.

If asked, Noctis could keep a secret. It wasn’t hard for him to stay quiet. “What did he say to you?” And he was true to his word. No matter how much Prompto pestered, Noctis wouldn’t budge. “You got in _trouble_.”

“I did not.” Noctis waved him off with a free hand, his other being occupied by a plastic bag of groceries he was helping bring in. 

“Oh.” Prompto stopped in his tracks briefly. “Then it was actually something serious?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” 

“You guys don’t ever stop talking, do you?” Gladio came up behind them to swoop in and grab the plastic bags in their hands. He was always good at that, pretending everything was fine. Noctis couldn’t help to wonder what his shield was thinking when he locked eyes with his best friend. Was his mind preoccupied with their conversation from earlier today?

“Something wrong with conversing among fellow companions?” Prompto questioned. They both followed behind Gladio as they entered their hotel room, occupied with Ignis engrossed in tidying their room from last night’s mess. 

“Nothing wrong in socializing. But best not to stick your nose into other people’s business unless you wanna get wrapped up in Noct’s mess.” Gladio poked lightly at Prompto’s forehead. His blond friend swiveled his head between him and Gladio until finally landing on Noctis.

“So you _did_ get in trouble.” If Gladio wanted to hide his feelings more, then so be it. Noctis would play along.

“Ya got me,” Noctis confessed with his hands raised. “Add another tally mark under Gladio for lecturing me this time.” Ignis perked his ears and directed his attention to him, questioning what he meant and asking Prompto if they were keeping tabs on who lectured the most was true. Meanwhile, Gladio was off to the side, buried in his phone. It didn’t appear he was idly playing on his phone, more like he was messaging someone, presumable.

“Come on, Iggy. You know we wouldn’t do that,” Prompto attempted to defend himself. “Even if we thought about doing it before.”

Ignis sighed, “I suppose it was too much for me to expect highly of you,” and added a feign of sadness. “I’ll be sure to lower my expectations”

“Now hold on—” But Prompto was interrupted by a light knock on the door.

It was Iris. Noctis figured she was checking in on the commotion but he noticed Talcott standing just a few inches behind her.

“Are you ready to go?” Her question jogged his memory about plans for that day. He had forgotten he agreed to join Iris to take Talcott out to wherever he wanted in Lestallum to take his mind off of what had been going on lately. Noctis nodded and smiled in enthusiasm.

“I’ve been ready since this morning.” 

Iris peered around the room at the other three. “You guys wanna come with? The more the merrier!” 

“Thought you never asked!” Prompto jumped to his feet and stood by Talcott. Ignis followed suit leaving Gladio to join the group gradually as he finished typing his message. “And you say I’m the one obsessed with my phone.” His best friend elbowed Gladio at his side. Oddly enough, there was no rebuttal. There was no response to begin with. Gladio just smiled softly and did a small laugh that Noctis barely heard. 

As the day progressed, Talcott’s mood started to lighten and his childlike energy returned from their efforts. Prompto being the biggest contributor of course. While Noctis wasn’t the best with kids, he still managed to strike up a conversation or two, likewise with Ignis. Gladio however… 

“Hey, twinkle toes! You’re gonna walk into a pole!” Prompto yelled out to a distracted Gladio as he pried his eyes from his phone and stopped in his tracks. His dumbfounded look was enough to make the others laugh, but it left Noctis just as confused. He was distracted, it didn’t take a detective to know that. But with what? With whom? At every opportunity, he had been messaging to one or more people. 

“I’m actually gonna go back to the hotel room to take a nap. I’ve been exhausted lately.” Without question, they all say their goodbyes to his shield, and he parted ways. Noctis wasn’t buying it.

“Where to next?” But he couldn’t let it bother him at that moment. “You wanna go eat before we continue?” Iris asked Talcott as he nodded.

Hours later, the sun started setting. Prompto was reasonably getting tired. Ignis was getting restless. He hated thinking about it, but they needed to discuss what their plan was regarding Nifiheim. 

“I’ll have a talk with Gladio first about the whole ordeal. Stay here with Talcott and Iris in the meantime. No need to worry them about this,” Ignis whispered over to him. 

Prompto placed his hand on his shoulder, and spoke in a gravelly voice, “Don’t forget about me, Noct. Tell my wife I said— _hello_.” Noctis rolled his eyes and swatted his best friend’s hand away.

“Go take a nap, nerd. You can talk to me about how weak you are later.” Prompto just shrugged as he walked backwards.

“Ain’t no shame in getting a little extra beauty sleep,” Prompto last said before leaving him alone with Iris and Talcott.

As tired as he was, Noctis found it within himself to accompany them a few more hours. How Talcott was still going strong after walking Gods know how many miles baffled Noctis.

“I _am_ tired,” Talcott spoke through his salt-water taffy.

“Huh? Why didn’t you say anything before?” Iris asked as she sat on the bench she begged to take a rest on.

Talcott thought about his answer for a second. “Because I knew I wasn’t going to hang out with you guys like this for awhile. I want to enjoy our time together for as long as I can.” His words struck Noctis in more ways than he thought. But he knew he didn’t have to worry about anything like that. He was going to be with his friends every step of the way against the empire, so why did his mind subconsciously take those words to heart?

Eventually Talcott did call it a night. His eyes couldn’t stay open long enough for him to lie about not needing any sleep, but thankfully Iris was there to tell him otherwise. 

With shuffling feet, Noctis made his way back to his hotel room at the dead of the night. Stifling his yawn, he walked in the brightly lit room—no Gladio and no Prompto. Except, that wasn’t entirely true. It took him a second, but he noticed his friend sitting out on the balcony, staring out into the city with his feet propped up. 

Before he could ask where his shield was, Noctis searched briefly around the room looking for him. “Where’s Gladio?” Ignis stood up from the bed and quietly walked over.

“Out here,” Ignis instructed as he walked past Noctis out to the hallway. He felt himself getting anxious. Noctis could sense a slight prickle at the back of his neck as he followed, unable to get a word out to ask his advisor what was going on. “I’m disappointed in him.”

Noctis raised his eyebrows. _Disappointed?_ “At Prompto?”

“At Gladio.” He didn’t mean to laugh. It was his initial reaction to hearing, of all people, Gladio being in the wrong. But once that feeling wore off, he too started to hold the familiar feeling of disappointment. “When we got back to the hotel room, he wasn’t anywhere to be found. I attempted to contact him, figuring he needed to step out for a moment, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Thankfully he sent me a message after to let me know what was going on,” he adjusted his glasses, “However... “ The hesitation in his voice had a distressing effect on Noctis. “He wanted me to keep quiet about him being with another woman tonight.”

“Shit... “ Noctis didn’t need it to be explained any further to him. No, he didn’t need to hear it. It made his heart sick and fall to the pit of his stomach knowing Gladio was out with who-knows-whom the same day he confessed his feelings for Prompto.

“I told Prompto—of course. He deserves to know that much.”

Noctis scoffed. “He deserves more than that,” he crossed his arms, “I’m glad you’re not covering for him.”

“Since we’ve had our discussion about Prompto’s feelings, I have been keeping an eye on him. Gladio… he hasn’t been conservative with his displays of affection for dear Prompto.” Noctis rested his shoulder against the wall to keep him upright.

“You’ve been noticing too,” Noctis confirmed with himself, but Ignis answered to reassure his suspicion.

“As I said, he hasn’t been subtle. Prompto may have difficulty with social cues, but he’s intelligent enough to know what Gladio thinks of him. If he didn’t want anything to do with Prompto, then he shouldn’t have led him on this long.” 

Noctis could tell there was an edge in Ignis’ voice. He was just as upset. “You’re preaching to the choir.”

“Noct.” Ignis placed a hand on his shoulder. “Right now, Prompto needs his friend by his side. I’ll let you know if Gladio decides to contact me again.” Noctis didn’t need to be told twice. 

He entered their hotel room with faltered steps as he crept behind Prompto so as to not scare him away. As the light wind settled down, a trail of smoke established from thin air, guiding Noctis’ eyes to Prompto’s hand—or rather, what was in his hand.

Prompto’s chest staggered as he breathed deeply. “I just don’t get it.” The frailness in his voice sounded as if it would crack at the slightest breeze. With shaky hands, he took a drag of his cigarette he promised he had quit using, and continued to talk after letting the smoke fall out of his mouth. “I didn’t do anything to him, and yet...” 

Prompto’s glossy eyes didn’t help him to determine if they were betraying his anger or indicating he was about to let the heartache get the better of him. Noctis pulled up a chair next to his best friend and waited for Prompto to finish.

“I was clear that I wasn’t trying to force anything on him, wasn’t I?” 

The anxiety in his voice told Noctis everything he needed to know. “Are you trying to convince yourself that?” The tension in Prompto’s shoulders left, leaving an unsure look in his eye.

“I—” Prompto grunted and he scratched the back of his head furiously. “I know I shouldn’t blame myself for something that isn’t in my control.” He planted his feet on the ground and leaned on his elbows. “I shouldn’t blame myself and I won’t.” The dissociation between his voice and body language sent out mixed signals as to what Prompto truly believed. Either way, he was justified in his feelings. “Real talk?”

Noctis perked an eyebrow. “Real talk.”

Soft tapping from the heels of Prompto’s boots filled the silence as he stalled on his words. “Not to sound pathetic, but I sometimes wonder if I’m ever going to find someone,” he laughed nervously, “I have a whole life to get to, yeah, but the heartbreaks haven’t been kind to me.” Plural? As in multiple times something like this has happened to Prompto and Noctis hadn’t been aware enough to realize it. He wanted to ask more about Prompto’s past, yet, his conscience told him to hold off on the questioning. Not now, at least. 

Prompto whispered to himself, “He didn’t even bother to give me a rejection,” as if it were a secret Noctis overheard. His blond friend huffed, gave up his carton to him, “Throw ‘em out if you want,” and snubbed out his cigarette as he left Noctis alone on the balcony. 

The weight of the carton was overbearing. Even being in the presence of it left an oppressive effect on Noctis that forced him to toss it to the side to avoid looking at it. “Why?” There was a dizzying amount of things to be questioning ‘why?’ to. Why did it have to happen this way? Why did Prompto, of all people who didn’t deserve it, get burned? Why would Gladio do such a thing? Gladio… 

The animosities and disappointments towards his shield was a heavier weight to bear. Noctis wanted to know exactly why. Sitting around wasn’t going to cut it. He left the balcony to find Ignis comforting a lump underneath a blanket. Noctis signaled to his advisor to step aside, to which he followed without a word. 

“I need you to take Prompto out for a little bit,” Noctis whispered near the doorway, “I’m gonna have a conversation with Gladio, but I wanna do it privately.” Ignis nodded, turning his head back to their blond friend. 

“I’ve asked Gladio when he thought he would return,” Ignis said, but suddenly stopped talking.

“And?” He urged. 

His advisor sighed and turned his attention back to him. “No response. I gave him until one to return. We’ll have to just wait and see if he follows through.” Noctis pulled out his phone to check the time. He had about an hour left to return. Gladio was as idiotic as they come but he wasn’t dense enough to not follow Iggy’s orders. He would come. 

“I’ll take Prompto out for a drive,” Ignis patted his shoulder, “Do something I wouldn’t do,” which was the last thing Noctis expected to hear from him. 

When they both left him alone in their hotel room, waiting by the door like a parent trying to catch their child arriving after curfew, he wondered if Ignis was even remotely serious about his advice. Noctis could think of a few things he would do to Gladio, but he should hold off on any form of violence until he got answers. 

His back ached from the worn out chair and his mind ran through a script of prepared lines he had for Gladio. Expecting it to be early morning, he was surprised when the wall clock read fifteen till one—unless it was broken. Noctis pulled out his phone. No, it was for sure fifteen till one. He checked his call log again to see if he happened to miss a phone-call. So far, the log was still filled with failed outgoing calls to Gladio. At what point, Noctis thought, would he have to start worrying about his safety?

It was ten till. No Gladio. 

Five till. No sign.

Two till.

At some point during the remaining two minutes, keys jingled on the other side of the door. And with no sense of hesitation, Gladio walked in and said, “What’s going on?” with a hint of confusion in his voice after surveying the room.

“ _What’s going on?_ ” He knew. He knew exactly what was going on but he couldn’t stop from pushing everyone’s buttons. Noctis’ head was blinded with rage that he couldn’t think what to say next, losing his words and the planned speech he had prepared. 

“You’re an asshole, Gladio.” He meant it, but he regretted it. He didn’t regret it, he deserved it. But in the technical sense, he didn’t do anything wrong.

“What did you say—?”

“You can save your tiring excuses for later,” Noctis responded too quickly for him to catch, getting swept up with the momentum he had. “What the hell is wrong with you? You confess your feelings about Prompto and you thought _this_ was the next logical thing to do?” 

The floorboards creaked underneath the weight of Gladio readjusting his feet. “I said I would think about it—”

“And I said I didn’t want to hear an excuse. You knew the entire time what you were doing to Prompto. You knew about his feelings for you and you knew since the beginning. We all knew.” Gladio chewed on his lip, physically biting back his tongue to avoid say anything that would make it worse.

“It’s complicated…” Gladio muttered, and walked past him over to his bed.

“Don’t pull that crap with me.” Noctis jumped from his chair out of frustration. “You ruined your chance to be with one of the few good people left in this world that cares about you and for what? A one night stand you couldn’t bother to learn her name?” Noctis lowered his voice, but kept the same curtness as before. “We don’t even know when life will go back to normal anymore. Why waste away the time you have with Prompto?” His shield didn’t respond for a while, silently moving from one side of the room to the other as he got ready for bed. “Well?”

Gladio laid in bed, pondering as he stared at the ceiling,“I still like him, Noct,” until he mumbled weakly.

It didn’t help. If anything, it caused even more confusion to Noctis. “Then why would you do something like this to him?” At this point, Noctis wasn’t sure what Gladio could say to successfully defend himself. He wasn’t so much giving him a chance to redeem himself, more like giving him the opportunity to at least justify himself. 

“I told you, it’s complicated. That’s a conversation that’s only between Prompto and I.” Noctis was caught off guard. It wasn’t much, but a man is only as good as his word. 

“When will you have this ‘conversation’ with Prompto then?” 

“Sooner rather than later. You can hold me accountable.” 

And Noctis would do just that. It was all he could do at that point. Once the night ends, he would back away and let Gladio handle the rest.

“If you’re not planning to be with Prompto, then get it over with and tell him.” Gladio winced and pretended to fall asleep the second Noctis left the room.


	2. Gladiolus

_“If you’re not planning to be with Prompto, then get it over with and tell him.”_

Gladio couldn’t formulate his thoughts into words how wrong Noctis was. But he didn’t blame him. 

Days passed followed by weeks and Gladio still hadn’t talked to Prompto about whatever was going on between them. When they’re all together, he played the part of having no worries too well. When they’re alone, Prompto didn’t let out a cough. No more jokes, not even a ‘hello’. He shut himself off completely. It bothered Gladio more than he would like to admit.

He mentioned this to Noctis, “You chose this,” only to be shut down as well.

Ignis wasn’t any better, “I hope you realize what you did wrong,” as he turned to scolding him like a child.

He’s realized he regretted that night sooner than what people assumed, but it wasn’t enough. He missed his friend. He didn’t care if Prompto no longer wanted to be with him, he just wanted to talk to him again.

“The entrance is just up ahead,” Ignis informed as he pointed towards the Daurell Caverns. Noctis and Prompto weren’t paying attention. Too engrossed in their conversation about video games to consider they should be listening to their advisor. Laughing at inside jokes and memories of playing together he was left out of.

He was missing out.

They moved up in front and turned on their flashlights once the sun could no longer light their path. 

“ _Ooo,_ spooky!” Prompto waved his light towards the ceiling that then scared away some bats. “Oh crap!” He ducked away when the bats swooped down before flying off.

“Stop scaring the wildlife,” chided Noctis. 

Prompto laughed, but it had a nervous edge. “Really thought I could power through my fears.” Gladio stopped himself from teasing his blond friend, feeling he wasn’t allowed to do so. “If I ask you to hold my hand, would you do so?” 

“Depends if you really need it.” Prompto clenched his heart and keeled over.

“You are just too good for me, Noct.” Gladio wanted that to be him. His stomach left him, leaving the empty spot open for his jealousy to rattle around. 

During the exploration, Gladio was being left further behind the other three and didn’t bother to try to catch up. Going through the motions of surveying the area, making sure the area was safe and no monster would sneak up on them.

“Crossroads.” Ignis shined his flashlight at the two adjacent pathways. “Which one should we take first?” And then, an idea crashed into Gladio at full speed.

“We should split up.” 

Prompto sputtered as he twisted himself around towards Gladio. “Do what with whom now?” Even Ignis and Noct were equally lost for words. “Have you ever seen every horror movie since the beginning of time?”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Noctis spoke up. He had, thankfully, caught up to Gladio’s plan. “We’re adults. And it’s not like we can’t take care of ourselves with a few monsters.” Prompto couldn’t believe his best friend was following through as he held his mouth agape. “Gladio, Prompto. You two check the path on the right. Iggy, you’re with me.”

“Wait!”

“Certainly, highness.”

“What!?”

“Good luck, you guys. Meet us if you find anything interesting.”

“Noct!” But his best friend ignored his pleas—avoiding puddles and small boulders until they both disappeared behind a rock wall. “And this is where the story of Prompto ended,” he mumbled to himself. 

Gladio rolled his shoulder as he went ahead. “Let’s get moving,” it came out as a harsher order than he intended. “I mean—Come on.” Gladio heard Prompto grunt softly before taking his first steps.

Gladio moved his feet with diligence, carefully about where he was stepping unlike Prompto. He moved quickly through to where he was the one leading instead. He refused to speak, unsurprisingly, although he did occasionally look behind him to make sure he wasn’t leaving Gladio behind. 

They were alone, meaning if Gladio wanted to talk to Prompto, now would be the time.

“Ah—”

“You don’t have to explain anything.”

“Erm.” So much for having a discussion. “I really think you deserve an explanation.” Prompto was more than blunt with his short laugh. “Prom—”

“You should’ve said something.” Prompto stopped in his tracks. He huffed, looking around, flabbergasted. “You should have said something and I would’ve backed off, Gladio. I wouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. I wouldn’t have spent all my time thinking about you, wondering if you really liked me back.” 

Gladio wouldn’t move a muscle, too afraid to do so. “I didn’t mean for it to happen,” it slipped out like word vomit. Prompto finally turned around with his eyebrows furrowed, baffled at his response.

“ _What_ didn’t you mean?” Gladio couldn’t say. “ _What part?_ ” His mouth twitched as his mind refused to let him answer. Prompto threw up his hands, stomping away towards the rock wall. “I should’ve listened to Noct the first time. Why did I let myself fall for a _stupid jock—!_ ” He kicked a rock over, revealing a weak, soft spot on the ground that crumbled and collapsed underneath him. The force of his steps as Prompto panicked to move away caused the floor to disintegrate further, providing no support for him to climb out. 

“Prompto!” Gladio sprinted over to pull him out, but the added weight had the wet floor break apart faster. He grabbed Prompto’s arm, however, they had already began their descent. Dirt and dust filled their nostrils as they fell through. They scraped against the rock wall, slowing them down enough to just knock the wind out of Gladio from the impact of the ground. 

His eyes burned and his arms ached. Gladio coughed until his throat felt raw to get every particle of dirt out. He blinked a couple times. 

“Prompto!” Gladio got up and ran over to his side where he laid holding his leg. His arms were covered in scratches, but nothing major. That was when he remembered to check his own injuries. He was bleeding, and yet, he couldn’t feel anything.

“Gladio!”

“Prompto!” Noctis and Ignis yelled from above, their voices bouncing off the walls. Gladio glanced up as he saw the two of them peering over the hole they fell from. 

“Are you two alright?” Ignis called out. Gladio took one more look at Prompto, who was laid spread eagle as he caught his breath. 

“We’re a little scratched up, but we’re fine,” Gladio yelled back. “Watch where you’re stepping at!”

Noctis stepped back while trying to maintain eye contact. “What do you guys see?”

Gladio searched for his flashlight, finding it still in good condition. He shined his light around a large, open area filled will tracks and mine carts. “We fell through a mine shaft. We’ll see if we can find an opening.” 

Ignis nodded, visibly relaxing despite being a distance away. “We’ll go looking for the opening from the outside. Do be careful!” 

Gladio turned away as soon as they left. He shined his flashlight back on Prompto trying to stand himself up, “Owowow—” but he fell back to the ground when he put pressure on his right foot. 

“Prompto!” He stayed by his side again as he inspected his foot. “Does this hurt?

“OW! Yes!” His ankle could barely be moved an inch before the pain settled in. “I think I broke my ankle.”

Gladio shook his head. “If you broke your ankle, you would know. Luckily it’s only a sprain.” He soothed his inflamed joint with his thumb, massaging it to control the inflammation. “You should be fine as long as you don’t walk around with it. Here—”

“I’m fine.” Prompto pushed away his hand and attempted to get up again. He gritted his teeth. He pretended the pain wasn’t there moving forward, but wobble in his steps told otherwise. 

Very easily, Gladio could pick up Prompto and carry him. But he knew Prompto had a pain tolerance. All he had to do was wait. 

Gladio passed by Prompto wobbling at his usual pace although he would occasionally walk slower for Prompto to catch up. The tracks were difficult enough for Gladio to tread on while also maintaining a visual in front. Still, Prompto kept his mouth shut. Unwilling to complain as his usual self would. 

There had to be a point where Prompto needed to say something. The walls felt like they were closing in the further they went, the heat and poor circulation had Gladio gasping for a deep breath, and the constant echoing from the air was more than unsettling. How long had they been walking? How long did this mine shaft go on for? Should they go back?

His self-interrogation was cut short by a heavy thud behind him. Prompto had fallen onto his hands and knees, arms trembling and sweat trickling. But upon closer inspection, he discovered his eyes, nose, and cheeks were red.

“Come here.” Gladio guided Prompto to be carried in his arms, fireman style. “Keep your right leg raised. You’re on light duty.” He followed his request without arguing, hands still shaking. 

Prompto did eventually calm down. He rested his head on Gladio’s shoulder, much to his surprise. But it bothered him that Prompto had to be shaking with pain for him to feel comfortable being close to Gladio. That wasn’t what he wanted. He couldn’t be selfish for wanting someone to be close to him without having their body go through trauma, right? Gladio would like to think so but at this point, he wasn’t sure if he was even right about anything.

“Hey, wait.” Prompto’s meek voice alerted Gladio at the upcoming ravine. The only thing connecting between the two edges was a rickety track that hadn’t been used in Gods knows how long. “I’m fine with taking my chances going back if you are.” He wasn’t. If they went back, they would just be playing a long game of cat and mouse with Noctis and Ignis figuring out where they were and if they were waiting for them. The settling dehydration and their injuries weren’t giving them the best odds to staying trapped in the abandoned mineshaft. They had to cross if they wanted to reach an exit.

“I’m going to have to carry you on my back.”

“You can’t be serious.” Gladio let Prompto down on his left foot only hop him up on his back, securing his arms underneath his legs. “Okay. Suicide pact. An oldie but a goldie. Should I close my eyes or keep them open?”

“We’re not gonna die, Prom. I got you.” Gladio took his first step on the metal frame, testing the stability. “I’ll take it slow. Worry about aiming at my feet.” Blond hairs tickled the side of his neck as Prompto nodded. 

Both feet were off the ground and onto the metal frame, just wide enough to keep his balance. One foot lifted slightly, practically sliding along the tracks and placed his weight on it. Low groans from the metal joints emitted as he took his steps gradually. Gladio forced himself to focus on the tracks rather than what laid beyond, never bothering to look how far down the drop was. 

Prompto breathed in through his nose and out with his mouth. He was maintaining his cool and that was all Gladio could ask for. Suddenly the tracks groaned louder than usual. Prompto gripped on his collar, prepared for something. 

“We’re okay,” Gladio reassured him and the grip on his collar loosened. Following through with his confidence, he moved his feet one after the other at a slightly faster pace. But another creak from the tracks stopped him. The creaks didn’t stop. Without warning, Gladio took off and finished the last few steps in a dash, pushing the tracks to their limit. They both landed safely on hard ground where they viewed the mine tracks barely holding together. “I told you we were okay,” but even Gladio was still keeping his nerves in check.

With how far they’ve walked, they were bound to reach the end. “What’s that?” Prompto pointed his flashlight at a boarded up archway. “That’s the exit!” And the end was here.

Gladio jogged over to the exit, setting down Prompto nearby and inspected the wood. “I can cut this down easily. Hold tight.” He summoned his greatsword out, almost forgetting how heavy it was with how dehydrated he was. Angling himself to get the most room, he brought his sword back and swung hard at the boarded exit. The rotting wood gave up quickly as it broke down with one swing. Instead of being hit with fresh air and relief from Noctis and Iggy, he was hit with a dull concrete wall. 

No. It wasn’t going to be a problem. Gladio brought his sword back again and swung at the concrete. It wouldn’t be considered to be a slice. One more. Gladio swung his sword from a different angle, yielding the same result. Last time. Gladio mustered the last of his strength into his next swing. It was deeper, but only by a few millimeters. He was getting some progress.

“Gladio—”

Gladio swung with the same strength, but came up a bit short. He could get another one in.

“Gladio—!”

_Just one more._

“Gladiolus!” His full name being called out shook him from his trance. There were a number of marks on the concrete wall. None of his attempts managed to break through the other side. A block of petrified stone. 

“This can’t be it…” He placed both his palms on the cold surface of the concrete. The rough texture left many tiny indents on his hands, puncturing through the calloused skin of his fingertips. “This has to be the way out.” Gladio slumped down next to Prompto, covering his face with his hands to hide behind. His face burned and his stomach felt queasy. Off-the-wall ideas ran through his head, trying to figure out what to do next, but his efforts came up short.

“Gladio…” Prompto gently moved his arm away, forcing Gladio to remove his other one. He could feel his face being flushed. Any other time, he would be kicking himself for being swept up with his emotions. He didn’t have it in him to turn away. It didn’t matter to him anymore. Far too exhausted to care. “I don’t actually think you’re a stupid jock.”

Gladio’s lips twitched as a smile, ever so slightly, appeared on his face. “Doesn’t matter what you think.” He gathered and stacked a pile of rocks for Prompto to elevate his right leg on, soothing it in the process.

Prompto moved to a more comfortable position before he said, “Well, you _are_ a jock… and you’re a _little_ stupid,” where his body buried itself against the crevices of the wall. He settled his head back and sighed, “I guess in hindsight, we both knew it wasn’t meant to be—”

“That’s not true,” Gladio interrupted. Prompto tilted his head to the side, too perplexed to say anything. “I didn’t mean for it to go that far.”

“You keep saying that, but you never explained what ‘it’ is.” 

What even was ‘it’? Gladio grabbed a small rock, rolling it around his hand, and tossed it lightly over to the sealed off exit. His chest heaved with deep breaths. Slowly, he opened his mouth. “You’ve known?”

Prompto squinted his eyes in the dark, wondering what Gladio meant before it hit him. “Not really. Not at the beginning,” Prompto chuckled. “Noct tried to convince me for weeks. It’s not that I didn’t listen. I didn’t think it was possible.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “That night when we stayed up late talking outside the tent—where we talked about our insecurities—that was when I started to realize that maybe Noct was right…” There was an abrupt pause. Prompto let out small noises that indicated he was about to start talking again, however, he refused to let it out. 

“Go ahead.” 

Prompto pressed his lips together and nodded. “That night… That was when I knew it was more than just a crush… And that you probably thought of me as more than a friend. Maybe.” Despite all the evidence being provided for him. It wasn’t his fault. Gladio never intended to be forward with his feelings.

“I do.” Again, Prompto stared at him with an unsure look on his face—eyebrows scrunched and mouth pressed into a line. Gladio felt an unfamiliar rhythmic beat against his ribcage at the sight. “I like you, Prompto, but I can’t be with you.” His heart shattered as if Gladio was the one who received the news. Prompto, on the other hand, had a much better time handling his confession.

“I figured. Can I ask why?” No waver, no tremble was in his voice. Cold, clean. Like he delivered a scripted speech. It hurt. Gladio didn’t know why.

“I like you.” It wouldn’t be enough of an explanation for Prompto, but it made sense in Gladio’s busy mind. He shook his head to clear it. “Couple reasons. One, I’m the royal shield. My father was a royal shield. My grandfather, and his father were royal shields.” He bore his eyes onto his palms as he studied the patterns. He was born with them. Born with the hands that represented his family’s main duty to protect the future kings of Insomnia. “I don’t want Iris to bear the burden of continuing the family line. It’s my job to protect Noct. It has to be my responsibility to carry and pass on the name. And I can’t do that with another man.”

The uncomfortable truth. It was evident Prompto felt, what appeared to be, guilt. It would’ve been easy for him to forget it was how royalty worked. “Everything has to be by blood,” Prompto said as a halfhearted joke. “What’s the other reason?”

“Two,” Gladio threw another rock at the exit, “I don’t trust myself to protect Noct first if you were both in danger. I care too much about you for you to continue with us.” 

“That’s your reason?” Prompto scoffed, “You say that like I can’t stand my ground. You wouldn’t have to worry about me—” Gladio turned him down.

“That’s not the issue,” he interrupted, “If Noct and I were in trouble, who would you save first?”

Prompto scoffed, then laughed, passing off the question as a joke. “You can’t be serious.”

“And yet, you answered how I expected you to.” 

It only took him a few moments to understand his point. “So—that’s how it is.”

“I’m not happy about it either, Prompto. I thought I was getting by.” Gladio rubbed his temples and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I got to the point where I had to stop pretending. I told Noct. Get it out of my head, and do what I could to forget.” His shoulder twitched as a hand rested on top. Rough, calloused fingers rubbing small circles that made him aware of the prickling sensation underneath his skin. “I felt nothing afterwards. I forgot for a few hours, but I couldn’t get you out of my head. I wanted it to be you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you and regretting that night—”

Something triggered inside Gladio when dragged his face down to kiss him. In a frenzy, he wrapped both of his arms around the blond to bring him close. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He didn’t want to let go, he was terrified of doing so, fearing if he did, he would lose Prompto forever. 

_Please don’t leave me._

“I love you.”

The flashlight began flickering as the batteries started dying. 

“I always have.”

And the light went out. Pitch darkness suffocating them. 

Except for a ray of moonlight.

“I’m not giving up here.” Gladio removed himself from Prompto’s arms as he summoned his greatsword again. There was an ever so slightly small crack in between the block of cement and the wooden frame, enough to give Gladio an idea. 

He struck his sword in the breech, prying away at the rotten wood, cracking it until it exploded into tiny pieces of splinters. His sword was damaged but there was a hole big enough for his arm, and the night sky was finally in his sight. He dug through the remaining frame, enough for him to slide through between the cement and mountain side. But there was another issue.

“There’s daemons out. Two iron giants. I’ll go alone, you wait here until I get Noct and Ignis.” 

It wasn’t a matter of discussion. Gladio attempted to squeeze through the opening, but could only manage to get a third way out before it became apparent he wouldn’t fit through. Alternatives weren’t of use either, and with a damaged sword, his options were severely limited.

“I’ll go.” 

Prompto stood behind him, waiting. Gladio still wouldn’t consider it.

“No.”

“Gladio!”

“You’re injured. You wouldn’t be able to fend for yourself if you get spotted.”

“Noctis’ shield needs to be right there by his side. Not trapped in a mine shaft because he couldn’t risk the life of another who is equally dedicated to protect him.” Prompto approached him, holding onto Gladio’s arm to hold him upright. “I took the same commitment when I decided to go on this journey with you guys. Our number one priority is Noct, not me. Let me do this.”

Gladio didn’t have anything to respond with. If he did start talking, he would no doubt try to stop Prompto. Instead of fighting, he calmly stepped aside away from the exit.

Without a thought, Prompto stumbled through the opening, easing his way through and fell to the ground as he winced in pain after putting pressure on his sprained ankle. 

“I’m fine,” Prompto answered before he could ask. 

Gladio watched as he crawled with no delay, gripping the sand and patches of dried grass to drag his body further. Sluggish but determined, Prompto moved as he pretended there weren’t two-ton threats who wouldn’t bat an eye tearing him apart. But he had to remind himself he trusted Prompto. He was smart enough to know when he should move and when he should stop and lay low. He had this. There was no reason for him to worry. Even if he was injured, his loyalty was more than enough to make up.

Prompto pulled out his phone from his front pocket and searched for a signal. He raised his hand, held it out, trying to find the perfect angle to get a signal and call for help. His smile radiated into the night as he managed to punch in their coordinates before collapsing on the ground.

* * *

Ignis and Noct came by in Dave’s truck. They got rid of the daemons and whisked Prompto away to the truck before he had the chance to tell them Gladio was still trapped, presumably worried about his injuries. Fortunately, Prompto did get the opportunity to point out the sealed exit, albeit after they determined Prompto wasn’t in critical condition. 

With tools courtesy from Dave, they dug through the mountainside, freeing Gladio where he dropped to his knees in exhaustion. 

“I’m glad you guys made it out safe,” Noctis replied as Gladio retold what had happened, excluding some details.

Actually…

“I need to ask you something. As your shield.” Noctis perked his eyebrow with interest. Preferably, Gladio wanted to ask in private, but he only had mere moments before Ignis and Prompto left the bathroom in their motel room after dressing his wounds.

“We’ve had this discussion before, Gladio. My answer is still the same. I told you to think about it.” Gladio had to admit, he was slightly flustered at how obvious his intentions were. Yet, it was a weight off his shoulders finding out he didn’t need to ask. “You think your feelings towards Prompto would change the way you act as my shield?”

“Yes,” without question, he replied, “we both know what the consequences will be if I got involved with Prompto.” 

Noctis crossed his arms as he laid back in his chair. “There’d be just as many consequences if you deny your own happiness too. And how long have you felt this way about Prompto? Months? You’ve been doing your job as normal even with Prompto at our side.” He hadn’t thought about that. He’d been too worried about _what_ might happen rather than noticing it _had_ happened. “You deal with that information however you want. If you’re asking for my permission, you know what I would say.”

The door to the bathroom opened. Prompto hobbled out with the help of Ignis, smiling at Gladio he hoped to see for the rest of his life from then on.


	3. Epilogue: Prompto

Honey colored eyes scanned his face as a fingertip traced its path, pointing out to his prominent freckles that weren’t there the day before. “You forgot to put on sunscreen today,” a soft, warm voice whispered. “Did you run out?” Prompto smiled, enjoying the attention he was receiving from his boyfriend. “I can get more.”

“All good, big guy. I didn’t think I needed it today.” Which would have been true if he hadn’t forgotten how powerful the sun was in Leide. “Any word on our food?” Gladio reached over for his phone on the floor, careful to not fall off the tiny bed in their trailer. One quick glance at his phone showed no new calls or messages. “Guess we’re going hungry unless you wanna feast on sticks and sand.” Gladio dropped his phone to the ground before nestling into Prompto’s side, 

Who would have seen this coming? Gladio, big, tough, burly Gladio snuggling against him and asking to have his head scratched by guiding Prompto’s hand into his hair. It was a side Prompto didn’t know was in him, trapped underneath the layers of his tough guy act he had to have in order for people to be intimidated. A secret hopeless romantic inside a playboy exterior. A touch starved man pretending he didn’t need human interaction.

Gosh. It made Prompto fall for him harder. 

_How did I get so lucky?_

“How did I get so lucky?” Gladio asked the same time Prompto did in his mind. 

The blond comforted his big guy, letting him rest his head on his chest, protecting him from his anxieties just as he would do the same.


End file.
